Maryland 7th District Congressman Elijah Cummings says the CEO of AIG (American International Group) should apologize and then resign for comparing criticism of CEO pay to lynchings in the South.

Robert Benmosche told the Wall Street Journal that the anger over pay and bonuses to Wall Street executives was "sort of like what we did in the Deep South."

He added the criticism "was intended to stir public anger, to get everybody out there with their pitch forks and their hangman nooses, and all that."

Cummings is the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, which investigated the Wall Street crisis of 2008 that led to the multi-billion dollar bailout of AIG and other Wall Street firms.

"I thought it was just incredible. You would think that these folks would be thankful for what taxpayers had done," Cummings told WBAL News.

"To liken any criticism to lynchings is a bit much."

Cummings says he was "very hurt, upset and quite surprised," at the remarks.